Oh no you didn’t, Christian Audigier.
Oh, yes he did. In an effort to expand his brand beyond, well, anything you can put rhinestones on, Christian Audigier released his collection of wines late last year. Now that Whole Foods (probably the last place I thought would carry it) is offering the Cab, Syrah, Rose, Chardonnay and Merlot, I figured I should at least give it a shot. After all, it’s not often that a winery’s website describes their owner/winemaker as “a walking, talking, living, breathing lifestyle…who invited Michael Jackson to his 50th birthday.” Who needs dedication or commitment when you have the support of every frat boy on the Jersey Shore?
To understand how difficult it was for me to buy this bottle in front of Sonoma County Whole Foods shoppers, you have to realize what Christian Audigier wine is to us. It’s that thing that exists, somewhere, but we don’t talk about it. Not even the tourists mention it. It’s the new White Zin.
But either way, I went into it with an open mind. And it wasn’t that bad…for a $10 Cab. Mediocre black fruit and all-too-obvious French Oak – but not even a hint of tanning lotion on the finish.
All jokes aside, Christian Audigier’s 2008 Ed Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon taught me a valuable lesson, one that maybe we should all start using….it’s finally ok to judge a wine by its (neon pink and green) cover.
